When temperatures drop, you’ll notice your electricity bills start to heat up. Electricity use is very dependent upon the weather and fluctuates with the seasons, going up in the winter and summer, and down in the spring and fall when it’s more mild. For most people, January, February and March bills are the highest of the year, which is no surprise because you are consuming a lot more electricity running your heating system in an effort to keep your home warm.

To help you become more energy efficient, the co-op has a variety of tools available at CEMCPower.com. Visit the “Energy Efficiency” section to see how you can help keep money in your pocket. You can also use this tips to help reduce your electricity costs:

• Consider installing a programmable thermostat. This will allow you to set the temperature of your home based on times when you will be home. You can set the thermostat to keep the house at a certain temperature and then it will automatically adjust the temperature based on your programmed settings.
• Keep it set. Unless you are using a programmable thermostat, in the winter keep your thermostat set at 68° F, or lower, and 78° F in the summer. This will help ease the burden on your heating unit and save you money in the long run.
• Seal your home. A low cost option to help seal your home is caulk. Use caulk around areas that may be leaking air from the outside into your home. This will help control the temperature of your home.
• Eliminate vampire use. Electric devices use power even when not in use. A simple solution? Plug electronic devices into power strips and turn off when they are not in use or you’re away from home.